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At 9.45 we moved on, and further down the coastal road came to Lake Quinault Nature Walk where there was a short loop for gentle walkers and a longer trek ending at the hotel for the more athletic ones among us. There was a lovely walk through temperate rain forest where the moss-draped trees, vegetation and fallen trunks were so thick that it would have been impossible to make progress were it not for the trails prepared for visitors. It was not long before we took a wrong turn, which was fortunate as it led us alongside a pretty little stream where Adiantum aleuticum decorated the steep sides of the valley. We soon found the right trail, where Polystichum munitum grew in profusion as it does all over this area, with Blechnum spicant interspersed in the damper patches. Athyrium filix-femina var. cyclosorum and Pteridium aquilinum var. pubescens were noted again and the oak fern (Gymnocarpium disjunctum) covered the ground in any clearings. Those who took the longer trail noted Equisetum telmateia, Lycopodium clavatum and a bifid form of Blechnum spicant growing in some quantity. Lunch was taken at Lake Quinault Lodge, which was situated on the edge of the lovely Lake Quinault. Rather more imagination was shown over the lunch, which had an unusual combination of ingredients in some traditional recipes. In the short time available before we boarded the bus for the long drive to Kelso, Pat Acock found both Equisetum fluviatile and E. palustre at the edge of the lake. On the long journey it was interesting to see how the trees ended when we left the National Park. We ended our journey at the Red Lion Hotel at Kelso, where we spent the night and some members made use of the pleasant outdoor swimming pool while others settled into the huge bar area. Mount St Helens (Friday) Pat Acock This was an absolute must for the tour. We had lodged within striking distance of the volcano the night before and reached the first visitor centre early. After looking at the interpretation displays and watching the short films we started the long drive to the closest point to the volcano that is accessible by road. Nothing really prepares you for the power and devastation caused by one of these cataclysmic events. Two-foot diameter trees snapped off at waist height five miles from the blast, and the size of the hole in the side of the volcano do, however, bring home the reality of it all. Whilst many took in the sights and looked around the top ranger station, I set off to travel as far as I could in half the time allotted to see what ferns had colonised the eerie terrain. Equisetum arvense was the first pteridophyte apparently to be recorded from the area and we had seen much supporting evidence on the way up, but I was pleased to find Polystichum munitum and Athyrium filix-femina var. cyclosorum also making a start. However, the swards of flowers in some areas were breathtaking, especially the paintbrush (Castilleja parviflora), growing in apomictic clones with bracts ranging from vermilion to cerise to magenta. Too soon we were on our way back. Our evening was to be spent at a celebration dinner in the penthouse restaurant of Lyman Black’s apartment complex and we had to cover some distance. At dinner, Graham Ackers kindly led the vote of thanks to the large number of helpers who had made the excursion possible but principally to Sue who had organised the tour to perfection, putting in hours and hours of planning and discussions to finally come up with just that right balance of gardens and field meetings that really was the ‘Best of the West’. We then had a chance to look around Lyman’s fern garden with the waters of Lake Washington gently lapping all around, before finishing the tour with a lecture and slide presentation by Martin Rickard on some of the best fern gardens he knows. We then had to say our final goodbyes, but not before Jerry Little, our coach driver for most of the tour, made a small speech. Jerry had played no small part in making sure that we were comfortable throughout the hot weather that accompanied the trip and with his cheery good nature kept us amused and ‘on task’. We hope that the friendships and contacts made during the tour will develop into mutual support and understanding of each other and generally further our aims to develop the interest and conservation of our beloved ferns. 108
FOREST OF BOWLAND AND SOUTHPORT FLOWER SHOW, LANCS. – 22-23 August Pat Acock Four of us met on Friday morning at the head of Brock Valley Nature Trail (34/549430), about eight miles north of Preston. Armed with a list of ferns found on my ‘recce’ we set off at a reasonable pace, which continued until Barry Colville realised that this was an excellent site for molluscs. This allowed the rest of us to scout around more and it was not long before Frances Haigh had added Blechnum spicant to the existing list. In a large meadow above the trail, flushed gently with bases, we found an enormous stand of Equisetum telmateia, and just below on the riverbank were two magnificent plants of Polystichum aculeatum. On an old mill further down we found Asplenium ruta-muraria and just beyond this we came across a very large specimen of what was almost certainly Dryopteris x complexa. We retraced our steps and crossed the car park to examine a wall, thus adding Asplenium trichomanes subsp. quadrivalens. The other ferns recorded were Dryopteris filix-mas, D. dilatata, D. affinis subspp. affinis and borreri, Pteridium aquilinum, Athyrium filix-femina and Polypodium vulgare. 109 photo: P.J. Acock Joan Hindle, Frances Haigh & Barry Colville in Forest of Bowland We then moved on to lunch a mile or so to the east, at Beacon Fell Country Park (34/565427). The wood was characterised by having lots of ferns. Unfortunately we estimated that more than 95% were Dryopteris dilatata and most of the rest were bracken. However, we did add Equisetum arvense and Oreopteris limbosperma to the morning’s rollcall after toiling through thick rushes and having a young mum coming over and enthusiastically thrusting some baby frogs at us to examine. She obviously guessed we were kindred spirits. After these exertions we sat down on a strategically placed bench for four, overlooking an island in a pond. Now was it just our imagination playing tricks on us or was that emerald green fern… Just as I was thinking that I was to be volunteered to wade out, a pair of binoculars was found; all four of us examined the plant from afar and concluded that we were right; we had found Osmunda regalis. After a cream tea back at the visitor centre we departed on our separate ways.
Page 1 and 2: THE BULLETIN OF THE BRITISH PTERIDO
Page 3 and 4: Healy Pass and Derreen Garden, Co.
Page 5 and 6: not found although the gametophytes
Page 7 and 8: P. interjectum, Dryopteris aemula,
Page 9 and 10: After lunch we visited the seaside,
Page 11 and 12: SEATTLE, WASHINGTON STATE, USA - 15
Page 13 and 14: photo: Kristi Olsen Jennifer Ide, R
Page 15 and 16: Still further along the road, at In
Page 17 and 18: Our final stop was the Paradise vis
Page 19: chagrin of the Ranger. That night w
Page 23 and 24: LYNTON, DEVON - 12-14 September A.R
Page 25 and 26: After lunch it was with much regret
Page 27 and 28: LECTURE MEETINGS AND DAY VISITS 200
Page 29 and 30: (A. distentifolium). Fred bemoaned
Page 31 and 32: Dicksonia antarctica and D. fibrosa

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